Stampede Park Plans: Past, Present, Future
Recently the Calgary Stampede and Calgary Municipal Land Corporation announced a new Stampede Park 2045 vision. One of the big ideas put forward by Stampede CEO Joe Cowley was to create a new stadium that would accomodate CFL football, rodeo, chuckwagon races, grandstand show, concerts and other major events. A difficult, probably impossible task, but Cowley was adamant that “the engineers will have to show me it can’t work.” Good on him. It will be expensive.
I have been following the evolution of Stampede Park and Victoria Park for 30+ years, both as an insider and outsider. The key to city building is to always have vision - ideally a shared vision and one that links the vision with reality.
Let’s have a look at how the Stampede Park and its vision has evolved.
Calgary Stampede’s new vision includes a new multi-user stadium complex. What used to be the Youth Campus is now Discovery & Heritage Zone.
This Stampede Master Plan illustration is from 2016.
Calgary Next, 2015
When I heard Cowley’s comment I was immediately reminded of the “Calgary Next” a 2015 proposal by Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) owners of both the Calgary Flames and Calgary Stampeders to build a multi-purpose stadium that included a field house, hockey arena and football stadium in at the west end of downtown. Hmmm…seems like some initial research has been done on the feasibility of a multi-user facility.
Calgary Next proposal to redevelop the west end of downtown with a mega sports facility and housing.
Conceptual rending of “Calgary Next” multi-purpse stadium.
At that time I wrote a blog suggesting the CSEC and Stampede Board work together to create a Sports Hospitality Entertainment District (SHED) at Stampede Park, that included a multi-purpose stadium.
Ironically 10 years later that seems to be exactly what is happening only it is lead by the Calgary Stampede and Calgary Municipal Land Corporation partnership which has proven to be very successful over the past 10 years with the completion on time and on budget of the BMO expansion and the much needed hotel development to support the increase in major events at Stampede Park.
FYI: CSEC owns the Calgary Stampeders CFL football team that would become the anchor/partner for a new stadium. However the feasibility of a new stadium for a team that only has 9 regular season home games per year and a 10 day Stampede makes the economics of stadium very different than a hockey arena.
Click here for: “Flamesville vs Stampede Park” blog.
Horizon 2000 Plan
In 2016 I wrote about the success and failures of the Stampede to realize the Horizon 2000 Plan, that was created in the ‘90s. It included Stampede Trail along Olympic Way as a Main Street, Youth Campus, a major hotel and the need to link Stampede Park with East Village.
I noted: “The recent announcement that Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) and Calgary Stampede have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together is very exciting from an east side City Centre urban revitalization perspective.” And, this has turned out to be very true!
Click her for: The Next Step: Linking East Village & Stampede Park
Check List For Success
In 2021, I posted another blog that foreshadowed what has happened with the BMO expansion and new hockey arena at Stampede Park.
“A reader of my recent “Calgary vs Columbus Ohio” downtown revitalization blog sent me, a copy of Alex Rowley’s thesis “Winning with Sports Event Facilities and Sports and Entertainment Districts in Smaller Cities” for his Masters of Community Planning from Vancouver Island University (April 2020). The title is a bit misleading as he looks at numerous examples of how new downtown arenas have succeeded or failed to revitalize their respective downtowns in large and small cities, including Columbus.”
FYI: The Columbus revitalization model was influential in the development of Edmonton’s Ice District and Calgary’s current Stampede sports and event district plans.
The blog goes on to cite how a new arena could be the catalyst for Stampede Park Transformation, which is exactly what is happening. It has a check list for what makes for a successful sports and entertainment district, which ironically Calgary has followed knowingly or unknowingly.
Click here for: “In theory new arena could be a catalyst for Stampede Park Transformation” blog.
The creation of a Sports Hospitality Entertainment District (SHED) (arena, baseball stadium, hotels, office, residences, street activities) has been credited with the revival of Columbus’ downtown.
Stampede Park 2025
In 2018, I wrote a column titled “Stampede Park 2025” after a trip to Nashville that outlined what is needed to create a SHED (Sports Hospitality Event District) at Stampede park. It is interesting to see what has been accomplished, what is in the works and what may happen in the future
Click here for: Stampede Park 2025
Stampede Park makeover gains momentum
In June 2024, the Calgary Herald published my column “Stampede Park makeover gains momentum.” In that piece I trace the evolution of Stampede Park from the 1981 opening of the Roundup Centre to the 21st century additions.
Click here for: Stampede Park makeover gains momentum
Last Word
Stampede Park’s new vision doesn’t look that different from previous ones, with the exception of the multi-purpose stadium concept. Time will tell if this big idea and the vision can be linked to reality. Note: There is no perfect plan!
